bandpulliphobia (band-pul-a-fo’be-a) a. (n.) The fear of pulling off a band-aid; Especially when counting down from three.

There is a certain amount of the population that suffers from bandpulliphobia, and the number is greater than many would think. Many of the bandpulliphobics are children, and all of the reassurance from Mommy saying “It won’t hurt much if I pull it off fast,” will not stop the shaking and the wincing as she counts down. Sure the tiny wound it covered might be healed, but that sticky stuff is going to rip all the hair off my arm, knee, etc., is the bandpulliphobics state of mind. Maybe it might hurt less if it gets doused by water repeated and just limply falls off, but some of the better made band-aids have a cling-life that makes them so strong, one might consider them in place of glue. Others are so wimpy when it comes to stickiness, one wonders how they managed to make it to market. These might be the bandpulliphobic’s best bet against their fear, but they don’t really help the wound heal that well. So, the bandpulliphobics can either let the wound stay uncovered, risk infection, and the pain that will end as soon as the air stops blowing over the wound, or risk a second’s worth of pain two weeks later. Get over it! It only lasts for a moment!